


If Books Could Speak

by artemis101



Series: Riddlebird Week [1]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 14:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14896517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemis101/pseuds/artemis101
Summary: Of all the things one could use a library for, why did the strange guy have to choose this?





	If Books Could Speak

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this short drabble for Riddlebird week but I'll probably use most of the prompts to create series. The first prompt was first impression.

It was bad enough that his roommate had driven him out of the dorm so he could copulate with some stranger but he refused to be forced out of the library, it was practically his home. With a huff, Ed closed his book and stormed over to the last row of nonfiction only to find a janitor being drowned in his mop bucket by a man who Edward had never seen before. He seemed to be about average height but his appearance was anything but. He could be on the cover of Gothic Noir with an appearance like that. Ed didn’t know what stunned him more, the blatant murder in a public place or the pale beauty standing, well more hunched considering he was still holding the janitor underwater, before him. Ed was struck speechless as the pale beauty looked up. Pretty but not in a conventional way. Ed couldn’t really describe why, maybe it had something to do with those intense, dark blue eyes, eyes that he couldn’t see before and oh dear, this man was now making eye contact. Which meant he knew that Edward knew. Which meant that Edward would probably be the next person with his head in that filthy bucket and really how much more unsanitary could you get. The water that had sloshed onto the floor was obviously filthy. “Can I help you?”

Ed was taken off guard by the sudden question. It didn’t really seem like it fit the situation but still, it was rude not to answer. “I don’t think so, can you?”

With an unamused look, his question was ignored. “What do you want?”

“What I want the poor have, the rich need, and if you eat it you’ll die. What am I?” Judging by the man’s response maybe Edwards response wasn’t the correct choice.

“Is this… Are you asking me a riddle?” Even Edward couldn’t miss how incredulous the stranger was.

“Do you like riddles?” He would have to reevaluate on the term man. While the guy was older than him, he still appeared like he belonged in Gotham University. Maybe a senior, the cold response pulled Ed out of his thoughts.

“No.”

“So do you give up?”

“Friend look at...”

“Nothing, the answer is nothing, the poor have it the rich need it and if you eat it…”

“Who are you?”

“Edward,” a pause, “Nygma.” Perhaps telling a murderous stranger his name was a bad idea, but ignoring him would have been worse etiquette and the therapists that his parents had made him visit said he needed to be more social. This was the only person who had bothered to talk to him past obligatory orientation instructions and slurred insults. 

“Nice to meet you, sir, keep moving.”

“Will do.” He would move right to the administration office to find out the name of the stranger with piercing blue eyes and to get away from the crime scene. He really didn’t need to be accused of murder during his first year of college he thought scuttling off.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, feedback is adored. You can also expect to see more.


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